Sunlight filtered through Ame's bedroom curtains, casting a warm yellow glow across the room. Laying on a futon on the opposite side of the room was the aforementioned girl, trying desperately to pretend that it wasn't yet morning and failing miserably. The light seemed to pry at her eyelids and she relented, twisting under her blanket and sitting up. Her vision cleared quickly and her eyes were quickly drawn to her closet, in front of which a beautiful kimono had been strung up. Silver patterns swirled up the dark blue fabric, held together with nought but pins. The obi was draped over the back of her desk chair, an elegant affair of light blue and sprays of gold. They made a stunning combination, elegance and poise incarnate, but on her she doubted it would have anywhere near the desired effect.

As tall and lanky as she was, coupled with her short hair, she could easily be mistaken for a boy. Her only saving grace was her features, which were most certainly feminine enough to dissuade anyone from believing she was male. She felt something like dread well up in her chest at the sight of the thing but pushed it down as well as she could, simply getting up to get ready for the likely long day ahead of her. Kimonos were restrictive things, and tying one's own obi was near impossible. Ame usually never bothered with formal wear. It was much easier to move in her ninja gear, and she felt more confident in it. Unfortunately for her today was one of utmost importance for the clan leaders and she had been given the 'honour' of serving duty.

Business-minded as her clan was, Ame had grown up seeing many a business associate breeze in and out of the compound, all treated with the highest respect. They had their whims catered to easily, and any kind of behaviour that reflected badly on the clan when these associates visited was often severely punished. She had heard only stories of what servant girls had gone through in the past and was quite certain she wanted to avoid their fates. 

Today was one such day, and from her window she could see people scrambling to prepare for the meeting. A shipping mogul this time, from what she could tell, and what could potentially be a huge asset to the clan's coffers. She understood why is was important to maintain such relations, so when she had been given the task of being no more than a servant she had accepted with grace. It was only for a day, if negotiations went well, and if she kept herself quiet and appeared unobtrusive she might learn a thing or two along the way. No one knew where they might end up in life, and one day listening in on a business meeting could save her life. 

She slipped herself into the kimono and brushed her hair, making sure it was flat on top. Without her forehead protector it was falling into her eyes a little. She picked out a silver pin from her drawer and pinned art of her bangs to the side, checking to make sure she looked presentable. The kimono fit surprisingly well, but it was stiff and moving in it was not as comfortable as she would have liked. Nevertheless, she had a duty to perform, and unless she felt like being punished, she certainly needed to do it. Ame left her room and took a deep breath of fresh air, looking up at the cloudy sky. She hoped that today would go well, both for her sake and for the rest of her family's.

---

*618*

Apollo found himself gazing out from the darkly tinted windows of the vehicle as it cruised through the streets of Kumogakure. It seemed almost laughable that someone in his position had never before stepped foot in the Lightning Country until just recently, given the nation’s distinction of the hub through which the outside continents may do business with the shinobi world. It was going on two centuries past since the shinobi continent opened its doors to the outside world and actively participated in not only economic commerce, but cultural exchanges. Even with so much time however, the two sides had not always seen eye to eye on many aspects. The shinobi were a stubborn bunch. Even the most progressively minded of them to this day had reservations about assimilating outside cultures, for fear of “losing what it means to be a shinobi.” A foolish and outdated way of thinking, but who was he to argue with results.

Before long the vehicle would come to a stop. The driver stepping out from his seat and making his way around to open the door for Apollo denoted clearly that he had arrived at his destination; the compound of Kumogakure’s wealthiest family. The Ryuzoji were as recognizable a name to someone who had never been to this city as there was. Although he had never met with any of the clan’s leadership face to face, he was more than aware of their position of control over the ports that lead out to the Gaikotsu Bay. The Orouboros symbol projected onto the sides of their own merchant ships as well as shipping containers had always been granted passage through his ports, but with what seemed to be a leadership shift at the highest levels of the clan came a missive from the clan to come to Kumogakure and discuss terms.

He himself didn’t see much point in all of the pomp and circumstance that surrounded an official summoning like this, but apparently their former leader’s rather hostile reputation had burnt some professional bridges that the new guard was now trying to rebuild. Seeing the opportunity to get his foot in the door on the shinobi continent mainland, Apollo agreed and now found himself at the front gate of the Ryuzoji compound. The greeting he received at the gates by the man who requested his presence for this meeting was well enough, more or less what Apollo had come to expect out of these types of situations. He did get the feeling that the clan representatives were being perhaps a bit overly friendly, as if they were trying too hard to acquiesce to his whim. That part of it was honestly a bit unprofessional, but he gave them a pass, chalking it up to inexperience in international business transactions. And at the end of the day, the intent of this meeting was business-related.

After a few moments of exchanging greetings and niceties, the precession would lead Apollo into the central building of sector, an older, very traditional building which he could only assume was their “official” meeting place. The shogi screen doors that blocked their path would be pushed aside one after another until finally arriving in a large room with a long table neatly surrounded by many pillows. It was a far cry from the offices back home, but he remembered at least this much from his childhood to be able to adjust himself appropriately for the venue. Following suit with his hosts, he removed his shoes and made his way to a pillow at the end of the table, the entire length between he and the man who appeared to be the chief representative in the clan’s business affairs.

His hosts were surprisingly business minded once they took their seats, wasting no time in getting right to talking numbers. This was good. Apollo preferred to tackle the issues at hand rather than dance around them in hopes of avoiding offending someone. Their manners were not completely lost however, as the older men made sure to offer him tea as they pushed files down the table for his viewing. An offer which he graciously accepted after seeing the sheer volume of paperwork he would have to sift through in order to get an accurate grasp on the Ryuzoji’s holdings. It looked as though he might be in for a long day.

---

735~

Ame watched as the procession of elders filed past her, all with small smug smiles on their faces. Behind them came the highly anticipated business partner. The air around him was filled with people sucking up to him and if she were less inclined to being courteous she was sure a sneer would have found itself onto her face at the sight. They treated foreign business men better than their own clan members, it was disgusting. She wasn't sure exactly how widespread this man's influence was but it was obvious that he held a considerable amount of sway in the civilian business circles. He must have been affluent enough to have caught the Ryuzoji's attention, and his opulent clothing certainly represented this. She could understand now why her own garb had been so complicated. Even the servant must look good, lest they reflect badly on the master.

She kept her head up as he walked past her and into the clan meeting room, through the shogi screen doors. As she herself crossed the threshold her breath hitched slightly. The elders stared at her from across the room, almost daring her to do anything that could potentially show them in a bad light. She dropped her head, acquiescing to their wishes once again, and sat down in her rightful place in the corner of the room. She willed herself to appear invisible to their eyes and for a while it worked. They forgot about her entirely as they worked through the regular procedures. She could only understand a small part of what they were talking about, having not had much exposure to the business world in her life. What she could glean from the exchanges was that it had to do with both parties involvement in the ports near Gaikotsu Bay and the recent shift in leadership of the clan. 

She drifted away from the meeting, thinking about her upcoming trip to Konoha and her recent mission undertakings, imagining herself on the road with her sensei and teammate. She wondered how different things were in Konoha and Hi no Kuni. From what she had read it was a heavily forested land, rather humid as well. They had produced many a fine shinobi over the years, and it excited her at the thought of meeting them. She was rather rudely snapped out of her musings by a harsh hiss of her name. She blinked, embarrassed that her daydreaming tendencies had taken her away from the present. The man who had called her looked angry, but  didn't shout and simply pointed to the tea set she had beside her. Ame bowed her head and quickly got up with the tea set in hand. She hurried from the room, made the tea and came back in swiftly, careful not to trip over the hem of her kimono in the process. She moved to serve the tea, mindful of her constricting obi. Her hem snagged on something and she was suddenly tilting forward. She easily caught herself but the same could not be said for the tea and it splashed against the guests lap and across the documents. 

Ame went wide-eyed and braced herself for a punishing blow from the man, more than used to the treatment. "Please forgive me my carelessness." 

---

553 Words

Apollo would raise his head up from the stack of files in front of him at the sound of a rather aggressive attempt to get someone’s attention made by one of the men he was meeting with. He turned his head to look over his shoulder with his left eye to see a young girl hurriedly grab an ornate tea set on a small table beside her and scurry out of the room, which he could only assume was to have the tea prepared. It wasn’t as if it was completely unheard of for an authority figure to bark orders at those who work under them. Even still Apollo found the show to be distasteful, but since he was not from this country and unfamiliar with the clan’s customs he remained silent.

With the girl having left the room Apollo would turn his attention back to the meeting, listening to the older men talk numbers and make their case for why a contract with the Ryuzoji clan would be a valuable asset to his portfolio. At the very least, the men had done their homework. It was evident that they researched his previous and existing ventures in order to try to organize their presentation in a way that made them appear to be a more appealing option. His attention would be drawn away from the meeting once more however, when the young girl returned to the room, hurriedly making her way towards the table with tray in hand.

She seemed to move around awkwardly in that traditional attire, an obvious sign that she was unused to this kind of work, but so far she had been doing well enough. That was, until her clothing caught the sharp corner of the table’s underside, which almost sent her tumbling into him had she not righted herself before her balance was lost. The same could not be said for the tea, which found itself spilling all over the paperwork on the table as well as Apollo’s chest and lap. Seeing that the girl had prevented herself from falling, his first reaction was to jump from his seat and use his hands to pull his shirt, now drenched in boiling hot tea away from his skin to prevent burns. He grunted at the initial sting of the heat against his skin, but otherwise fell silent. At least until he turned to look at her and speak, “Are you okay?”

---

410 | 1145~

Ame looked up surprised at him for asking about her when he just had boiling tea split down his front. She didn't think it was in any way comfortable, and silently commended him for only barely flinching. She inclined her head slightly, as if bowing, and proceeded to pick up the fallen tea set and cups. "I am perfectly fine. May I bring you some towels?" She had made a royal mess all over what she knew were very important documents. Who knew what could have been in there. It may as well have been irreplaceable. The man who had so rudely hissed at her earlier was giving her the evil eye, but Ame refused to shudder under the look and give him any semblance of satisfaction at her fear. She stood up carefully, not wanting a direct repeat of the previous mishap in any shape or form. From the quiet looks of indignation she was getting from her fellow clan members she knew to expect to be disciplined. Her hands tightened around the edges of the tray at the thought, but she kept her back straight and her head high.

They would get their petty 'revenge' but she didn't care. As long as the business deal didn't fall through she didn't expect the punishment to leave any scar tissue. The man had seemed more concerned about his clothing and potential bodily harm that the documents themselves in any case. Ame set the tray down in the kitchen before grabbing some towels and coming back into the room to clean up the mess and remove the ruined documents. She hoped that her blunder wouldn't put the negotiations on hold for too long. Otherwise they may simply punish her by making her stay another day serving tea and forcing her to listen to their schmoozing. She handed the towels over to the man. "I am sorry for my mistake. I hope you aren't hurt in any way." Hot water did tend to make the skin raw for a while, and she hid a grimace thinking about the potential pain.

Out of the corner of her eye she could see the clan leaders grumbling to one another as she stood their awkwardly, with her hand folded together in front of her. The one that had been giving her the evil eye was outright glaring now and it was taking some willpower to do turn around and glare right back. It was rather humiliating, standing there like a servant. Just waiting for her sentence.

---

Words: 427 ~ 1598

“No, that won’t be necessary,” he answered to her offer for towels after the searing heat from the initial splash began to dissipate, but by the time he had responded she had already began making her way out of the room. So much for that. There was little left to do at that point other than reassuring the men across the table that he was fine and inspecting the damage that the spill had done to the paperwork. Reaching down to the table Apollo would open the manila folder at the top of the stack of papers only to see that the majority of the liquid that had spilled on the table had already begun to pool right under the files, staining the paper the same brownish color of the tea and rendering them largely unusable for any official business. In their current state he could barely even pick them up to read them properly. If the meeting was to continue, the Ryuzoji representatives needed to produce replacements for the files that he needed to look over, a sentiment he made sure to express clearly to them.

“I’m fine. It’s just a shirt,” Apollo replied when the girl returned to the room and handed him a towel. He would accept it and kneel down to begin wiping the liquid that had begun to pool on the table. He glanced up for a moment to get a look of the expressions on the older mens’ faces, mortified and shocked that they now had their guest and potential business partner cleaning up the mess made by one of their serving girls. He had seen that look before, one all too common among the ranks of society’s elite who lived a life where certain unwritten rules exist that aren’t followed outside of that class. Apollo was not born into wealth or influence and had to take his position in the world with his own hands. He was not afraid or put off by the idea of manual labor.

Whether or not he received any help when cleaning up the spill, he would continue to do so regardless of the Ryuzoji protests. Once the spill had been adequately cleaned he would stand once again and address the clumsy tea girl. “Actually sweetheart,” he began, “If you’re still interested in lending me a hand would you mind directing me to a washroom so that I can clean myself up. I have some time since we have to wait for replacement paperwork to arrive before any further discussions can go on.”

---

431 | 1576~

Ame looked up at the man and realized her mistake. She picked up one of the towels and kneeled down to help mop up the mess she'd made. The tea had busied itself with soaking into the various documents that were on display. All of it looked rather important, and Ame felt terrible for making such a mess. The tea was beginning to drip off the edge of the table and she hurried to put a towel there to stop the mess from spreading any farther. If it got on the floor the wood would become sticky and damp and she'd have a lot more to clean up later. She was surprised at him for starting to clean up the mess, and she could see she wasn't the only one. Ame had never once witnessed any of the clan's guests do any sort of work for themselves before, unless they were friends of the younger generation. What this man was doing was practically unheard of.

Once she'd done all she could to salvage the ruined documents Ame looked up at the man. "Of course, it's not very far." She gathered up all the soaked towels, careful to keep the wet sides away from the on-loan kimono, and got up, first looking to the clan members behind her for permission. One acquiesced with a nod of his head and Ame turned to lead the guest to a washroom. The fresh air from outside ruffled her hair and the infernal kimono that had started the mess. Ame raised her head to the side, regarding the guest for a moment. "I really do apologise for ruining your clothing. If there is anything I can do to repay you?" It was not as if she had much money to her own name, but she was not in the habit of accruing debt of any kind. It was her clumsiness that had caused the problem and she had always been taught to take responsibility for her actions.

They reached the washroom quickly and Ame directed him towards it. "The washroom is here. If you need anything in particular please ask. I must go and obtain replacement documents for the one's I messed up. Thank you for helping me clean up, by the way, I appreciated it." Ame smiled softly, noting that the bundle of towels in her arms were starting to drip onto the wooden floor, exactly what she'd been trying to avoid earlier.

---

Words: 418 ~ 2016

“Like I said before,” Apollo smiled as he answered the girl who was now leading him down the halls of the building to locate a washroom he could use, “It’s just a shirt. Nothing I wasn’t perfectly fine with parting ways with if I needed to. I’m not worried about it, no reason for you to be. Besides, as far as I’m concerned you did me a favor. I’m used to negotiating with old men to get business deals done, but back home they aren’t nearly this old-fashioned about everything. Listening to them go on about how great they think their own deal is was getting tiresome. You saved me from dying of boredom.”

Upon reaching the washroom the girl would offer Apollo her thanks for his earlier assistance, but rather than turning away and heading into the washroom he would take notice of the liquid dripping from the towels that seemed to concern her and place an arm underneath the mass of cloth to pull it away from her hands. “I wouldn’t be too sure you’re replacing any documents,” he spoke, using his free hand to gesture to the girl to hand over the towels, “For all the lengths they went to bring me here, they didn’t think to make copies of the paperwork to have on hand. They seemed pretty on edge about how they were going to replace them in a timely enough matter to get the meeting back underway today. Considering that, it looks like I have some time to kill, so let me help you with this.”

As nice of a guy as he could be, Apollo was a man that was accustomed to making things go his way, one way or another. As such, the girl not giving him the pile of towels wasn’t an outcome he was willing to accept. After all, his clothing was already drenched with tea in the front. By pressing the more soaked side of the towels against his chest when carrying the towels he would be able to abate the dripping of tea down onto the floor. “I’ll make you a deal,” he would say after she handed him the towels like he wanted, “I’ll hold onto these, while you wipe up the drip on the floor really quickly. Then you can just lead the way to whatever laundry room you use here to dispose of these. To be honest, I’m not particularly in a hurry to get back over there to wait around aimlessly. We can help each other out, yeah?”

---

438 | 2014~

Ame blinked, not quite sure she was hearing clearly. Sure, she had always been of the opinion that the clan's leaders were terribly dull on their best days, but hearing someone else say it was another thing entirely. Especially when said person was a respectable business associate. She found the whole thing funny actually, and had to stifle a small laugh, instead choosing to smirk a bit. "Well they can be overbearing at times. I'm not entirely sure any of them know the meaning of the word humble."  It was an understatement to say the least, but it wasn't as if she could outright insult them in their own home. That was simply asking for trouble.

The man (whose name she realised she didn't actually know) then proceeded to take the towels she had so carefully bundled in her arms and actually offer her some help. It was almost enough to leave her properly gobsmacked, so she just went along with it, waiting for him to say it was a joke and just dump the soaked towels on her head or something.His statement concerning the replacement of documents worried her slightly, as she was sure to be blamed for the fact that they couldn't wrap up the deal as fast as possible. Judging by the panicked looks she'd seen on her fellow clan members' faces earlier she believed the guest was correct. If they didn't have any replacement documents it could take quite a while for the whole meeting to proceed as intended. 

Ame took a towel from the top of the pile and quickly bent down to wipe up the few spots on which the tea had landed. She stretched as she got up, feeling the obi press down harshly on her ribs. She shifted the kimono, frustrated with the way it restricted her movement. She looked at him, now carrying all of the wet towels and sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Okay then. The laundry is on the other side of the compound, and out of the public eye, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to get there. I'm more worried about you being seen carrying this stuff. People assumed things quickly, and I don't want them to think you're a laundry boy or something. I'm Ameryuu by the way. Let me show you the way." Ame led him forwards across the grounds she knew like the back of her hand and towards the laundry room. It really didn't take too long to get there, but she and the guest did receive some odd looks on the way there, which she tried dutifully to ignore. It must have looked strange, her in a kimono leading around an extravagantly dressed man carrying wet towels. She didn't blame them for staring.

---

Words: 478 ~ 2494

“An unfamiliarity with humility is not an atypical trait among those born into wealth and influence,” Apollo replied to the girl’s comment, “Everything has always been easy for them and they’ve had people their whole lives telling them they’re different. You hear that for long enough and how could you not start to believe it? It’s not really their fault and it doesn’t necessarily make them bad people, but it is a bit unpleasant to be around. I dealt with more people like that than I care to admit while working my way up. You learn to work around it. Although back home people in general are less traditional than they are here, I suppose.”

Holding the towels tight to his chest to prevent any further dripping, Apollo waited for the girl to finish wiping up the runoff that had begun to drip onto the floor around them. The look of disbelief on her face when he offered to help her was amusing, although a bit disconcerting. Between that and the way she almost seemed to brace herself as if expecting to be hurt after she spilt tea on him led Apollo to begin painting an image in his mind about just what kind of culture was prevalent in this family. He had heard some rather shady details regarding their previous leader in his time, but the missive that requested his presence here seemed to go on at length about how things were different. From what he could see so far, he wasn’t so sure. “A laundry boy, huh?” he answered her musings, “I’ve been thought worse things. Try not to think too much about it. And it’s nice to meet you Ameryuu.”

He would then begin to follow her lead through the Ryuzoji property, doing his best to match her pace evenly while still allowing her to walk out in front in order to lead him to their destination. Of course there were some sideways looks from a few people they crossed along the way, but she seemed to be doing her best to not let it be a topic of conversation, so he did the same. He wasn’t sure how many of those people actually knew who he was compared those who were simply curious about a face they had never seen before, but they seemed to recognize her at least. “So,” he began as they continued their walk, hoping that light conversation would make the situation less awkward for her, who hadn’t really seemed all that comfortable with him helping her up to that point, “You aren’t used to this kind of thing are you? You have been fidgeting with your clothes since way back in the meeting room. Not your usual attire, I assume?”

---

469 | 2483~

Ame hummed in agreement with the man's statement. "Well once you're around it for so long it's as normal as breathing I suppose. It's been like this as far back as I can remember, even farther if the accounts of my family's history is correct, and tradition is oftentimes very hard to break away from. It has gotten a bit better recently, due to the, uh, change in leadership. But the current leaders aren't that much better at this than the last one. Those of us who are apart of the younger generation are generally wary of them though, and I think we're headed for better times, but complete reform is still a long way off."  Ame absentmindedly pushed some hair back behind her ear. "But my opinion on the matter hardly matters. At least not yet."

She turned the corner and they entered a rather more deserted part of the compound. Ame herself had a lot of experience with the place, being that she was in charge of her immediate family's laundry fetching and carrying. It was a menial task with no real merit other than to make her feel like a pack mule, but she never dared to complain about it, considering her mother's highly volatile temper. She found it strange that the usual servants weren't around, wondering if her screw up had caused a mad scramble to procure fresh documentation before the guest was informed they were not in possession of any backup copies. She stifled a small laugh at the thought, imagining the esteemed elders running around like headless chickens with huge stacks of paper. A that she couldn't help but laugh, butt she cut it off quickly, not wanting to look like a madman.

She was surprised at the guests question, and slightly caught off guard. She knew full well that she always looked awkward in ceremonial garb thanks to her height and lankiness, but she didn't think it was that noticeable. "I hate wearing this stuff. I don't know how anyone can be expected to defend their own lives while wearing such a monstrosity. They restrict movement and a tight enough obi can stop proper breathing. Kimono's were probably created to keep docile wives in their place and make them unable to defend themselves. That and people always assume one is innocent when they're all dressed up. They do make good disguises when you want people to underestimate you, but I digress."

---

Words: 423 ~ 2917

Apollo had only intended to make small talk as to not have their short trip to the laundry room be made in awkward silence, but he didn’t really expect for what he thought was a harmless observation to illicit such a strong response. He could only remain silent and walk forward with the towels in his hand as he listened to Ameryuu’s mini-rant about traditional wear like kimonos. He knew that there were of course people, especially younger people, that had very strong anti-traditionalist points of view, but he didn’t expect her to be so vocal about it to a complete stranger. “Ah well,” he thought to himself, restraining himself from smirking at her small, opinionated outburst, “I guess that’s just how some kids are these days.” The seemingly feminist comment about kimonos being made as some kind of ancient and oppressive tool of imprisonment for women made him turn his head slightly for a moment in order to roll his eyes out of her view as they walked, but once it passed he simply waited for her to finish speaking her mind.

“Oh come on, it’s not that bad,” Apollo replied to her rather strong opinion of the traditional clothing she was wearing, “Judging by the way you spoke about it I’m assuming you’re a shinobi then. A civilian would have no reason to rush to fighting capabilities as the first thing they have to say about an article of clothing. I’m pretty sure Kimonos were not created with their usefulness to a shinobi in mind. It’s traditional wear and nowadays pretty formal. They are made with really luxurious materials and ornate patterns because they are meant to be admired for their beauty and craftsmanship, not their practicality. As far as the docile wives comment… I guess I don’t have a comment. This isn’t really my culture, so I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it. Although I do think that you’re letting your general dislike for tradition, or at least traditional clothing, lead to some pretty big assumptions.”

“It sounds like you’re pretty ambitious too,” he continued with a sympathetic smile, “I’ve been where you are: bottom of the hypothetical food chain, desperate to climb your way up and make a name for yourself. You want to make a difference and think that once you’re strong enough you’ll be able to change things for the better. And you can. But if you don’t mind taking some advice, it’s usually not in anyone’s best interest to simply discredit or toss away the values and ideals of the past. You might not always agree with them, but there will always be a lot of people that do. People that you will need on your side if you want to make any real progress. Power and influence is nice, but even that will only get you so far alone. Life isn’t a single-player game. No point in burning bridges being stubborn over something as insignificant in the bigger picture as ceremonial dress. One day you might need to make your own alliances and some events you attend might require you to wear something like this. Are you going to simply offend your host because you don’t want to feel ‘oppressed’ in a kimono? Besides, I think you look very pretty dressed up like that. It might be a tool you didn’t even realize you had in your arsenal.”

---

596 | 3079~

Ame didn't fail to catch the way he turned away from her as she spoke, whether to laugh at her outburst of because he saw something that interested him she didn't know. She calmed herself down, and let her face settle until it became expressionless, turning back to her current task despite feeling as embarrassed as she did. It was unexpected of her, but the question had set her off. She was just so tired of the whole day, and wanted nothing more than to run far away from the compound and maybe take shelter on top of a tall building somewhere. "I understand their usefulness, and I understand the tradition," She said softly, "I apologise for my unseeming outburst. It was impolite of me so go off on such a tangent. "

She turned away from him and walked into the room to grab a basket for the towels, coming back out and holding it in front of her. "As for your advice, well I've never been one for blind faith, but you sound like you know what you're talking about, so I'll keep it in mind. Here, just dump the towels in here and I'll wash them up later." She stretched the basket forward, already prepared to haul the towels away for later clean up. She mulled over the guest's words, drifting off slightly and thinking about her future as a shinobi. Most of her 'dreams' consisted of surviving until she was a decent kunoichi, but they weren't much. Of course right then wasn't the most appropriate time to be dwelling on her own future.

She blinked, suddenly remembering that while he now knew her name, she still didn't know his. "Hm, well it is considered proper etiquette to give your name first when asking someone for their name, but as I have already given mine and my last infraction probably threw all the rules of courtesy out of the window already, would you be so kind as to give me your name? I'd feel worse about my personal rant if I didn't know it, considering we are total strangers." She arched an eyebrow, wondering if him not giving his name had been accidental or because he was uncomfortable with others being aware of his identity. She didn't know if it was a sore point of his past, but there was nothing more she could do but ask. It was starting to make her curious, and she preferred her curiosity thoroughly sated.

---

Words: 426 ~ 3343

Apollo took notice of how she would immediately change her attitude after he reacted to her outburst, frowning a bit as she felt the need to silence herself and apologize to him for her beliefs. “Has anyone ever told you that you apologize too much, Ameryuu?” he inquired, turning his head to face her as he spoke, “I never asked for an apology for your rant and you shouldn’t have given me one. There is absolutely nothing wrong in believing in something and feeling strongly about it. Beliefs are what make people unique. You should never apologize for who you are. “Right” and “wrong” are just words, and not ones that you need concern yourself with. That kind of debate is best left to philosophers and politicians. The only things that truly matter are the things that you decide matter. If I offended you I didn’t mean to do so. You shouldn’t let anyone make you feel embarrassed about your beliefs. Not me and not the old men back in that office, especially.”

When Ameryuu returned with the basket for Apollo to place the towels in, he complied, carefully lowering the damp bundle into the basket trying to avoid further dripping. He would then wait a moment for the girl to return from inside the room, ready to take his leave and finally make that trip from the washroom. It would have been rude to simply disappear, after all. The topic of conversation that arose immediately following her return however, he did not foresee. He thought he had managed to step his way around telling her his name skillfully enough, but apparently this girl wasn’t having it. He wasn’t sure why he thought it prudent to dance around the subject, considering he was here as his public persona. She was a good kid. If she asked any of the men he was meeting with they would easily be able to tell her who he was, but maybe she wouldn’t be particularly keen on sparking a conversation with any of them after the accident. Not that he could blame her. It was probably a better idea to simply lay low for a bit.

“My name?” he replied teasingly, smirking confidently at the inquiry, “Why, I’m just a stranger. Nobody important enough for you to waste time thinking about, sweetheart. But listen, it was nice meeting you. I appreciate the company. It was nice to get to speak to someone so refreshing after a stale meeting like that. I need to head to that washroom and deal with my clothes though. The old men are probably looking for me by now.” With that said he would show a sincere smile Ameryuu’s way and begin backpedaling slowly on his way out. “Do me a favor and don’t be too stubborn about dressing up, sweetheart,” he said with a chuckle as he turned to walk away, “And tell all the boys in Kumogakure they can thank me later.” He didn’t know his exact age, but he didn’t peg her as much older than a teenager, so he decided he’d have a bit of fun with that teenage romantic awkwardness before turning the corner and heading back to the washroom by the meeting room.

---

551 | 3630~

Ame smiled, thinking about how, yes she really had been told she apologised too often. It was how she'd been raised of course. If you made a mistake you had to apologise for it. She did do it a bit much though, so she never blamed anyone for saying she said 'sorry' way too often. She listened diligently to the rest of his spiel, a small frown tugging on the corners of her mouth. 'Offended'? She was certainly not offended in any sort of way. She actually felt a twinge of gratitude to the man for not brushing aside her beliefs entirely. 

Ame hurried to put the now full basket in the back of the room, laying it down in plain sight so that she wouldn't forget about it later, then stepping out of the laundry room for the last time that day (hopefully). She listened questioningly as the guest explained that he wasn't anyone important, so his name was of no relevance. She became even more intrigued, wondering if his name was something he always refused to share or if he was simply trying to make her more confused. She really wanted to know what it was now and she made a mental note to research it later. Surely for business negotiations one would at least need a pseudonym? Sharing a psuedonym couldn't be that bad. Then again she'd never had a second thought about sharing her name with those who had been assured in her eyes. She wouldn't give her name to a total stranger per se, but her name wasn't something of particular value in any case.

His last sentence choked her up a little bit, and the question died in her throat. All that escaped was a confused 'eh?' and nothing more. The next time she blinked he had disappeared from view, probably heading back to the meeting room. Ame massaged her temples and sighed. She could tell that this was bound to be a long day. Moving towards her own room to neaten herself up nd maybe find out if the meeting was still going ahead, she was stopped abruptly. She turned her head sharply, looking up at the person who had seized her arm from behind and shut her mouth to contain any kind of protest that had been on her tongue. Cold black eyes stared down at her, before the man she knew to be family tugged on her arm and pulled her along beside him. Ame kept her mouth firmly shut as they trudged through the compound and back towards the meeting area. Dread settled in her stomach as they turned a corner. They had probably taken the guest somewhere for food, leaving the meeting room empty and unused. She began preparing her apology in her head, internally smiling at the comment she recalled about her apologising too much. Well, let's hope that practice will help me now...

---

Words: 494 ~ 3837

As Apollo made his way off he would carefully retrace his steps in order to find the restroom they had past initially, wanting to avoid losing his way in the massive estate. After all, there would still likely be business that needed to be tended to and furthermore, it was unbecoming to wander around shamelessly in his current, sullied clothing. It may have been acceptable when accompanying the individuals who were present to witness the incident that caused his clothing to become this way, but the last thing he needed was for the other members, associates, or fellow guests of this clan to see him and think him some careless slob.

He would find his way back with minimal trouble, but before he could enter the bathroom he would be stopped by a female’s voice. His initial thought was that perhaps he had dropped or forgotten something and the girl from before had chased him down, but the voice did not belong to her. When he turned he would see a slightly older woman, seemingly in her early twenties. Apparently she had been sent by the men he had been meeting with, clothing in hand, to provide suitable attire to wear in place of his tea-covered suit. At first Kyohei graciously declined the offer, but the woman would not relent. Each time he would try to politely decline, she would insist, leaving them in an awkward stalemate of a situation. With a deep sigh Apollo would give in, not particularly in the mood for any more difficulties, and take the robes away from her.

If he were to be honest, Apollo felt a bit awkward about the whole situation, especially the clothes they gave him to wear; traditional robes much like the ones they had been wearing. Not exactly his wheelhouse. Even so, with no other alternatives besides wearing his stained clothes, he draped himself in the Dark Slate Blue robe, tightening the sash around his waist and slipping into the terribly unfashionable geta that were left for him. For someone who spent most of their life following much more contemporary fashion trends, these garments seemed like they belonged in a museum, but he would just keep that thought to himself, rather than insulting his hosts’ customs.

When he exited the bathroom, he expected to see the stubborn woman waiting for him, making sure that he made good on his word, but she was nowhere to be found. In fact, the hallway was completely empty. “Strange,” he thought to himself, slightly relieved that he wouldn’t have to deal with such a stubborn person forcing him into things. Since there was nothing left for him to do and no one guiding him in the right direction, Apollo decided it would be best to simply make his way back to the meeting room where hopefully, he would get some clarity on the situation instead of wandering around like a lost puppy.

---

492 | 4122~

Ame was shoved inside the meeting room, which was dark due to the screens placed by the windows. It was eerily quiet, and when Ame looked up she realised why. The room was empty, the pillows that the clan councilmen had been sitting on were still piled where she remembered seeing them, but no one was sitting there now. She stumbled as she was pushed, but stubbornly stopped herself from falling which was probably the intended effect. She turned to see the man who had pushed her in, already knowing who he was. She was more than familiar with that particular electrical signature. The man's face was devoid of emotion as he stared her down. She wasn't that much shorter than him, but he was bulky and he had an aura about him that made her seem a lot smaller when her more lithe body was compared to his. She straightened and kept her stare blank as she leveled it at him, unwilling to yield. Not quite yet.

"I have come to bestow your punishment, Ameryuu-san." She almost glared at the way he said her name. Barely anyone called her by her full name, and he had such an edge of malice in his voice that her senses were already screaming 'danger'. Ame nodded sharply. There was no point in arguing. It only ever made the punishment worse. She wanted to leave this room with as few bruises and injuries as possible. "Hai." She steeled herself for his first blow. It came as a sharp smack against she cheek, making her head whip to the side and her stance falter. "You know what you did wrong, don't you?" Before Ame could answer, a strike came to her gut, knocking the wind out of her and sending her backwards. She crumpled. "H-hai." A fist in her hair, tilting her face up to meet his impassive one. "Tell me then. What did you do wrong?" "I-" Another hit, harder, making her jaw rattle and her lip split with the force. She could feel the blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. "I embarrassed the councilmen with my own foolishness." Her words weren't quite clear, her lip and jaw starting to swell. "Correct. And what do you say?" He yanked on her hair again, making her yelp, her hands clenched into fists at her sides and desperately wanting to fight back. It's not worth it. She reminded herself. 


"I am deeply, deeply sorry. I have shamed my family," She swallowed down the blood pooling in her mouth, "And I have shamed myself. I will not let it happen again." The hand in her hair only tightened. "Do not tell lies, Ameryuu-san. You know full well what happens to liars in this clan." He aimed another punch at her and she braced herself for the impact. She wasn't sure what she was going to tell her sensei when she saw him the next day. A training accident? Maybe she could get Kameko to excuse her. She couldn't go out looking bruised and battered, not with the questions it would no doubt raise. Nothing that happened here could leave these walls. Never. Her hands went up instinctively to protect herself, despite knowing it was futile. It would only make it worse.

---

Words: 577 ~ 4394

As he approached the room, Apollo would stop, taking care to listen to the sounds which appeared to be coming from the other side of the door. There were at least two people, one man and one woman. From the broken pieces of conversation they had between thuds and grunts, it was not difficult to determine what the nature of their meeting was about. He considered for a moment simply walking away, not knowing what the situation was and not wanting to stick his nose where it did not belong. That was the plan, until he recognized one of the voices on the other side of the door. His eyes narrowed in anger as he slid open the door, allowing his eye to confirm what his ears had already deciphered. His movements were swift and silent, getting behind the man who seemed to entranced in his job that he did not even notice Apollo as he reached out with his left hand.

“That’s enough,” Apollo growled as he gripped tightly onto the man’s wrist, forcefully pulling it away from Ameryuu to send him tumbling back, “Now, I may just be an ignorant foreigner, but my beliefs won’t allow me to just stand back and assault this girl. This is about the tea incident, no? I didn’t see you in the room to be able to make a decision as to whether or not it was worthy of this kind of punishment. Consider yourself absolved of whatever orders you were given. I’m overruling them. This beating is over. Now get out of my sight.”

The air about Apollo would be perceived as completely different then it was earlier. His personable and easygoing demeanor was no longer present, instead replaced by an extremely stern and cold personality. His single uncovered eye glared unwaveringly at the man whom he had pulled away from the girl. There was no mistake or misunderstanding to be had about the intent of his words that were directed at the man. It was not a suggestion. It was not a request. It was a demand with a rather clear threat behind it. He may not have known this girl for long, but there were certain rules that Apollo lived by and this man had trampled on them. He would not have this child beaten in response to some perceived offense against him. The circumstances of their clan’s culture was irrelevant. If this was the kind of people they truly are, he had no intention of doing business with them.

---

427 | 4549~

Ame heard someone slide the door open, followed by a soft swishing sound but no footsteps as her punisher's hand raised to hit her. A hand curled around the wrist of her  aggressor, before the man was forcefully pulled back enough to make him stumble. Ame's eyes widened at the exchange, and her arms lowered in shock. Where had he come from? The guest  (who's name she was still unaware of) looked thoroughly angry, but his anger was not directed at her and was instead turned on the man who had been about to hit her what she was sure was concussive force. The guest's words startled her, mostly in the way he was taking control of the situation. His disgust was absolutely clear in his words.

Her punisher sneered unhappily,  but seemed to understand his position. He got up and left the room, grumbling nastily under his breath as he went. Ame looked up at the guest with relief and a twinge of fear. His entire demeanour had changed from the one she had observed earlier. He was colder, far less amiable. The way he had stared her fellow clansman down had shaken her up, far more the beating she had prior received. Ame dropped her arms completely and brought a hand up to her face to test the tenderness there. She winced at even the slightest pressure. "Arigato," Ame muttered. Her words were slightly muffled.

As she got up Ame hissed softly. Her abdominal muscles ached from the ealier hit. She wrapped an arm around her torso and layed a hand to her cheek in an effort to hide her wounds. She turned away from guest. "Please, do not think badly of my family for what you have witnessed today. It was wrong of them, yes, but it is getting better.  I can assure you. Just, please, don't break off whatever trade agreement you have with them. It will only make things worse." Ame wasn't sure why she was defending her clan as she was now. They would likely not do the same for her, but it wasn't about her right now. She wasn't about to let her family sink into further disrepute, not when things were starting to be patched up and clan relations were improving so. She refused to allow internal dispute to further stain her family's history.

---

Words: 401 ~ 4795

Training:

Speed: C-2 ~> C-3 (700)
Reaction Time: C-2 ~> C-3 (700)
Strength: C-2 ~> C-3 (700)
Endurance: C-1 ~> C-3 (1300)
Perception: C ~> C-2 (1175)

Words Used: 4575
Unused: 220